Something smells wonderful at Bon Vivant

When you walk into Bon Vivant, you realise that this is the shop that sells what you’ve been missing.

A veritable emporium of everything you need and covet for your cooking, chopping, processing, toasting, frying and boiling creations, Bon Vivant stocks goods from oven mitts to large appliances and all that lies in between. If that wasn’t enough, there is a fully operational kitchen in the back of the store with a large counter space and two ovens. It is the perfect place to hold cooking classes and demonstrations, and that’s precisely what they do!

I can reheat a mean set of leftovers, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself a culinary aficionado, I was therefore quite happy to attend a class with my best friend Lynne. Cynthia Hew, owner of Bon Vivant, took the reins and decided to teach us how to make a simple chicken and pasta dish with homemade pesto sauce.

I was instructed to peel and chop the cloves of garlic while Lynne grated the cheese. As I awkwardly wielded the knife, I silently thanked Bacchus that Cynthia didn’t want finely chopped pieces. With my Kardashian nails and limited skill I was producing chunks rather than slivers.

Once we had garlic, coarsely chopped fresh basil, cheese and pine nuts, it was time to move it to the food processor along with a goodly amount of olive oil. The resulting pesto sauce tasted divine. Hey, this was easy!

In the meantime, our chicken breasts lightly seasoned with salt and pepper were cooking in the (gorgeous) oven and our spaghetti was on the (stunning) stove. When all the elements were ready, Lynne sliced up the chicken as I tried to make a small tower of pasta lightly coated in pesto sauce as per Cynthia’s instructions. We added the chicken, and then drizzled on a bit more of the sauce to finish. Voila!

How did it taste? Dee-lish-us! Videographer Stuart was quite happy to put down his camera and sample our creation. Five minutes later, plates were being licked clean.

Bon Vivant is the ideal setting for courses like these, and Cynthia is the perfect teacher. She is patient, fun and encouraging. I left there to give super chef Eric Ripert a run for his money. I shall call my restaurant “Red by Vicki Wheaton.”

There are usually two classes held per week, covering such tantalising subjects as Burgers and Beer, Queen of Tarts and seasonal meals. The price includes all ingredients and two wine samplings. You can’t do better than that! You’ll also be using only the best equipment from such esteemed names as Le Creuset and Global Knives.

Once you’ve finished your course, you’ll want to browse so you can start amassing your own fabulous collection of kitchen items. This is also a terrific place for Christmas gift ideas to suit any budget.

From designer kitchens to the best toaster oven you’ve ever owned, Bon Vivant can turn you into a master chef one quality knife at a time.